The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to means and methods applicable to the scalping of the heads of slaughtered animals such as sheep, beef animals, deer and the like.
In our New Zealand patent specification No. 181447 (equivalent to each of U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,917, U.K. Pat. No. 1524778 and Australian patent application No. 26958/79) the full disclosure of which is hereby herein incorporated by way of reference there is disclosed a pelting system which involves the use of a small diameter roller which is used to roll off a carcass the pelt of the animal and in particular that of a sheep substantially as a sheet. For this purpose the head region of the sheep is worked up so that the pelt can be removed by rolling it substantially as a sheet. The rolling of the roller is effected in such a way that the inside of the pelt is exposed around the roller as the roller winds the pelt completely from the carcass. After the pelt has been removed the roller is reversed to allow the easy removal of the pelt from thereabout.
The preferred working up method for such a system was as follows:
(1) The animal is stunned and then spear stuck. Care must be taken that the atlas joint is not severed.
(2) The carcass is then suspended by the left rear leg on a conventional leg hook which is suspended from the main rail.
(3) The area around the anus is skinned right up to the inside tip of the tail.
(4) A slit cut is made from the anus through between the rear legs and up to a point just past the testes or udder.
(5) A small clearing cut is made between the legs separating the skin from the carcass to about 3" each side of the centre line.
(6) The fore legs are then placed in a conventional spreader which is lifted up on to the spreader rail.
(7) The Y cut is then made and the neck and shoulders cleared in a conventional manner, the Y cut going down the fore legs to the point of the lower jaw.
(8) The cheeking is then carried out with the ear canals being severed during this operation.
(9) A cut is then made over the bridge of the nose separating the skin for a distance of about 3" up from the tip of the nose, the nose being removed with the skin.
(10) The brisket is then cleared by preferably using a conventional drill and spade but the pelt is not split.
(11) The rear trotters were cut off above the final joint and in doing this the rear leg is severed from the leg hook.
(12) The pelt (or skin) is then split with a knife from the brisket down to meet the opening already made between the rear legs.
(13) The pelt is the cleared around the navel area as far out as the "wax eyes" only.
(14) The shoulders are then pulled down far enough to allow a pocket to be made through the arch of the neck separating the pelt from the neck of the carcass.
For the purpose of the system of New Zealand patent specification No. 181447 a spiked roller of relatively small diameter was used to which was engaged the lip or nose region of the worked up head of the animal. In the preferred form of the invention of New Zealand patent specification No. 181447 the animal, ideally sheep, were supported solely from its fore legs and the direction of the chain movement was such that the head was advanced first to the rolling off station for pelting. The lip and/or nostril region was gripped and the rolling was commenced which wound the pelt off the head of the animal down its neck down the back bone and then down the back legs. Throughout such movement sufficient constraints on the movement of the carcass are provided to allow the pelt to be parted from the carcass proper at a position in advance of the relative movement of the roller with respect to the carcass. In that method it was preferred that the worked up rear legs be removed as socks.
The commercialisation of the system of the aforementioned New Zealand patent specification No. 181447 did lead to certain difficulties with regard to the means of engagement of the lip/nostril region of the worked up pelt as it was felt that the spiked roller of small diameter did not provide the required safety margin and moreover did not always provide the required symmetry of the rolling i.e. on either side of the back bone of the carcass being pelted.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide means and/or methods which will go at least some way to meet the abovementioned disadvantage or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.